Workplace safety is a constant concern for organizations across
the globe. Occupational injury and fatality statistics demonstrate
that this concern is for good reason. For example, estimate that in 1998 there were over
350,000 fatal and 264 million nonfatal occupational accidents
worldwide. Likewise, a recent study by the National Safety Council
(2006) found that in the United States nearly 5000 accidental fatalities
and as many as 3.7 million nonfatal injuries occur in the workplace
each year, with estimated direct and indirect costs of these
injuries totaling over $140 billion in wage and productivity losses,
property damage, and other associated costs. Some researchers
maintain that the total number of workplace injuries may be even
higher than previous estimates suggest, since many injuries go
unreported . Furthermore, accidents
threaten organizations’ integrity, through personal injury, lawsuits,
and wasted materials .
Human error is believed to be a factor in as many as 80–90% of
work accidents . Consequently, researchers
have sought to identify individual differences that predict safe
workplace behavior, as these may assist organizations in identifying
applicants who are more likely to work safely on the job. Research
and industry practice emphasize the usefulness of
personality-based assessment in this regard . Recent meta-analyses have shown that Big Five personality
dimensions such as emotional stability, agreeableness, and
conscientiousness correlate negatively with workplace accidents.
Nevertheless, the relationship between Big Five personality dimensions
and workplace safety is not fully understood, and Clarke and
Robertson (2008) suggest that it may be useful to consider variables
that moderate personality – safety relationships. In the current
study, we contribute to this growing research literature by
examining whether conscientiousness is moderated by cognitive
ability when predicting workplace safety behavior. First, we briefly
review the relevant literatures on conscientiousness and cognitive
ability. Next, we describe the results of a field study involving 219
participants. We conclude by discussing the implications of our
findings for research and practice.
Workplace safety is a constant concern for organizations across
the globe. Occupational injury and fatality statistics demonstrate
that this concern is for good reason. For example, estimate that in 1998 there were over
350,000 fatal and 264 million nonfatal occupational accidents
worldwide. Likewise, a recent study by the National Safety Council
(2006) found that in the United States nearly 5000 accidental fatalities
and as many as 3.7 million nonfatal injuries occur in the workplace
each year, with estimated direct and indirect costs of these
injuries totaling over $140 billion in wage and productivity losses,
property damage, and other associated costs. Some researchers
maintain that the total number of workplace injuries may be even
higher than previous estimates suggest, since many injuries go
unreported . Furthermore, accidents
threaten organizations’ integrity, through personal injury, lawsuits,
and wasted materials .
Human error is believed to be a factor in as many as 80–90% of
work accidents . Consequently, researchers
have sought to identify individual differences that predict safe
workplace behavior, as these may assist organizations in identifying
applicants who are more likely to work safely on the job. Research
and industry practice emphasize the usefulness of
personality-based assessment in this regard . Recent meta-analyses have shown that Big Five personality
dimensions such as emotional stability, agreeableness, and
conscientiousness correlate negatively with workplace accidents.
Nevertheless, the relationship between Big Five personality dimensions
and workplace safety is not fully understood, and Clarke and
Robertson (2008) suggest that it may be useful to consider variables
that moderate personality – safety relationships. In the current
study, we contribute to this growing research literature by
examining whether conscientiousness is moderated by cognitive
ability when predicting workplace safety behavior. First, we briefly
review the relevant literatures on conscientiousness and cognitive
ability. Next, we describe the results of a field study involving 219
participants. We conclude by discussing the implications of our
findings for research and practice.
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